Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Topped with a heavenly brown sugar cream cheese frosting, these moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes are perfect for spring!

In the spring I love to make all things Carrot Cake, and these Carrot Cake Cupcakes are always a hit! Try Zucchini Cake, Carrot Cookies, and Zucchini Lemon Bread for more sweet-bread veggies!

the best Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cake is a dessert that I don’t make very often – definitely for Easter, and sometimes for random occasions. But every time I do, I remember how much I love it. Talk about a tasty way to get your daily dose of vegetables!

This time around, I opted for making Carrot Cake Cupcakes instead of an entire cake. Cupcakes are fun to serve, and even more fun to eat!

These delightful homemade Carrot Cake Cupcakes are moist and delicious, with just the right amount of spice. And the consistency is the perfect happy medium between dense and fluffy.

Top it all off with some homemade brown sugar frosting, and you’ve got yourself one tasty treat!

One thing to remember is that Carrot Cake doesn’t really taste like carrots, but they add the perfect flavor combined with all the spices in this dessert.

How to Make carrot cake cupcakes

These best Carrot Cake Cupcakes are so easy to make and will be the perfect addition to your spring and Easter celebrations. They’re also great for feeding a crowd.

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and oil till thick and foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and carrots, and mix well.

COMBINE. Add the dry ingredients and stir till just blended.

BAKE. Fill paper-lined cupcake pans half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely.

Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. They should be about ⅔ full. The cupcakes do not rise too much, and that is just fine. It’s easier to frost them that way!

Bite-sized carrot cake cupcakes. Follow the recipe exactly and fill mini muffin liners (in a mini muffin tin) halfway. This will likely be about 2 Tbsp of batter for each mini cupcake. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Brown sugar cream cheese frosting is literally the icing on the cake – or cupcake for this recipe. 😉

This is not your typical cream cheese frosting recipe. Brown sugar + cream cheese adds a rich depth of flavor to the frosting. It is so yummy I could eat it by the spoonful.

CREAM. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the brown sugar dissolves completely.

COMBINE. Add vanilla, salt, and enough powdered sugar to make a frosting thick enough to pipe. Use a large star tip to frost cupcakes.

FROS. To frost these cupcakes we used a large star tip to pipe on the frosting, or use your preferred method. If spreading the frosting instead of piping, cut the recipe in half and still have more than enough.

Recipe Tips

Moist carrot cake. There are several ingredients that work together to yield a moist cupcake – canola or vegetable oil, sour cream, and shredded carrots. Shred your own carrots because the prepackaged shredded carrots are too dry. 

Do not over-mix the batter as it can cause the gluten to over-activate and result in a tougher cupcake. This is one reason you mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add them to the wet ingredients. 

Don’t peek. Resist opening the oven door until checking for doneness. When pressed, the center of the cake should spring back.

A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Take the cupcakes out of the pan and let them cool on a wire rack.

Decorating suggestions:

• Top with these adorable Chocolate Covered Strawberries made to look like carrots.
• Switch the brown sugar frosting for a simple cream cheese frosting or Buttercream Frosting. 
• Using different piping tips can easily change the look of the Carrot Cake Cupcakes. 
• Spread a simple layer of frosting. Use a piping bag with a small tip to pipe on a cute carrot shape with orange and green frosting. 

cupcake Add-ins

Some popular items to add to Carrot Cake include walnuts, pecans, and raisins. Include any of those in the batter before baking (between ½ and 1 cup of add-ins total), or add the chopped nuts to the top of the frosting!

For pineapple Carrot Cake. Reduce the grated carrots to 1 cup and add 1 cup of crushed pineapple (drained). The consistency may change a little because there will be more moisture.

For more cupcake recipes:

• Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
• Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
• Peanut Butter Cupcakes
• Banana Cupcakes
• Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Storing Info

STORE. Frosted Carrot Cake Cupcakes must be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or the cream cheese frosting will go bad.

Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

FREEZE. Carrot Cake recipes freeze very well. It’s best to freeze them before they have been frosted, but cream cheese frosting freezes well too, so it’s not a problem if they are frosted.

Place the cupcakes in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag (taking care to not smash the frosting, if frosted), and store in the freezer for 4-6 months.

Recipe FAQ

For more great Easter DESSERTS:

• Easter Dirt Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Rice Krispies Easter Cups
• Easter Basket Cookie Cups
• Easter Sugar Cookies

And be sure to check out our entire collection of Easter Dessert Recipes!

I’m dying over that Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting!! Seriously, that looks like a total dream. Thanks for sharing with us, Kara! These look amazing. For more delicious recipes by her, head on over to Creations by Kara!